Luck Isn't Everything
by EliraLena
Summary: Benny didn't know why he had come back to Vegas, not until he found her in his room brooding over him.


DISCLAIMER: Benny does not belong to me or my friend… Benny belongs to the creators of Fallout New Vegas (Bethesda) I hope you enjoy this as I am enjoying it n.n Obviously the Courier belongs to either my friend or me but technically the Courier belongs to Bethesda as well, only… . the character, how she looks, her personality, and her name 'Andoria Weathers,' belongs to my friend or me.

Authors Note: This is actually an RP I am having with one of my friends… We happen to RP in paragraphs… I won't tell you who is playing who, Benny might be out of character a little bit… but hey I get my squees and my friend gets her squees. Anyways, I figured I'd build this up in chapters and chapters it is…

It had been over 3 weeks since Andoria had taken over New Vegas for herself. The NCR was out of the Mojave Desert and so was the Legion, even the Powder gangers had been taken care so that left travelers coming in and out, doing their gambling and what have you. Yes, she had taken over New Vegas but at what cost? She should've just killed off the entire fort camp like she had done but before she had started up the robots, untied Benny and told him that the platinum chip was his and if he needed help she'd be there. But she didn't, it hadn't even crossed her mind.

She laid in his bed, waited for him in new vegas and planned this to be her last night staying in his suite before finally deciding to raise up and take the 'throne' to vegas. She was waiting for him, waiting to hand it over to him. Why? She didn't know why, she could easily have that throne, no one would fight her on it, everyone liked her, even loved her, idolized the very ground she stepped on, but she didn't see a point. She had fallen in love with the very man that had tried to kill her a few months back. It was ridiculous, hell even Swank told her time and time again that what she was doing was dumb. So she might be a dumb broad but honestly she had men bowing at her feet even before this event and he was the only one who didn't, call it a crush.

Swank was grumbling as he stared at the door, the girl who had driven the chief of the chairmen had been staying in Benny's suite the entirety of the 3 weeks since she had taken new Vegas for her own, the only problem was... She wasn't willing to keep it. Hell he sent food up to her to make sure she wouldn't starve and purified water. He had conversation after conversation with her and now it was getting to a point where it was utterly ridiculous.

"Damn it Benny if you'd just show up maybe we can get that broad to cheer up," Swank growled before setting down his pen and looked over at the greeter.

"... Hey Charlie, you digging this broad staying up there brooding over that dumb fink? Offers to help her take vegas and what does he do? Turns tail and splits like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs is what he does... And she still sits there in his suite being bad news... Is that clutched nosebleed ever going to return?" Swank asked. Charlie shrugged.

"I don't know Swank, this seems a little raunchy... That dolly up there probably needs someone to go up and tell her that the old man aint ever comin' back," Charlie replied.

As if prompted by the sound of his name, Benny himself appeared in the doorway, looking a bit worse for wear but much the same as he always had. His eyes scanned the room as he entered a trace of paranoia in their depths. He jumped when he caught sight of Swank and Charlie...then relaxed.

"Well look at that, speak of the devil and he shall appear, maybe I should leave you two alone, after all, I ain't as tight with Benny as you are Swank," Charlie stated before walking off. Swank looked at Benny before shaking his head.

"You've made us have quite a raunchy scene here Pally, there's a wet rag up in your room being bad news. Maybe you should go up and have a word with her, maybe you could cheer her up, I aint ever seen a broad being such bad news," Swank stated then let out a soft sigh.

"And look, it aint as if someone was here to kill you Benny, just maybe talk to you... what's gotten on your nerves?"

Benny smiled, shaking his head. "Wasn't sure what kind of greeting I'd get when I got here. Not sure why I came back in the first place..." He cast a glance in the direction of the stairs, his expression unreadable.

"She's here, then? In MY room? Thought she'd be sitting on the throne of New Vegas by now."

"... She muttered something about it not being worth it, offered to take it off her hands and she just glared at me before she stormed off to your room, she hasn't left since," Swank replied before shaking his head.

"What did you do to get a dolly like her to be so loyal is what I'd like to know... I mean, ya shot her in the head, typically, even if it was me, I'd be seeking revenge... She didn't and I don't think she will."

Benny didn't respond. He moved, numbly, toward the stairs and ascended them slowly. His mind raced. Memories hit him like lead bullets. That first night in his suite...how good it had felt to have something to hold on to in all of the chaos...the sound of his name on her lips...jumbled words ('I love you'?) that were lost as the world fell away and all that remained existed in that moment (Or 'I hate you'?) He remembered shooting her that first time. The three words that had saved his life. ("I forgive you.") Hands, slipping a bobby pin into his, along with renewed hope, belief in...well, he wasn't sure he could call it that just yet. He LEFT, after all. Like a coward. His place was here, at her side like he'd promised...but it scared him, what he felt for her. Benny's train of thought scattered as he realized he was standing outside of the room. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand...and knocked softly.

She had gone through his alcohol cabinet only moments before and had taken shot after shot of vodka, finishing off an entire bottle to herself. Swank had even kept that stocked in hopes that maybe she could fantasize about him, maybe even have hallucinations and realize what she was doing wasn't the best outlet. She glowered at the door, now having moved to the barstool before her head thumped onto the bar counter.

"Look Swank, I'm leavin' tomrrow mornin', I'll go thu the Lucky 38 and be ou of your hair, no need to be buggin' me about my 'stupid hopes' that he'll return, I get it... He prolly got eaten up by a deafclaw that was lef over at the quarry... shulda jus told him in the firs place I talked to yesh man, but thas a shulda, is not wus goin on now," She stated before looking at the empty vodka bottle. "... damn it... whyisall the vodka gone?" She grumbled.

His breath caught. That voice...it was her, all right...and just like that, all of the feelings came rushing back. "Andoria?"

She looked up at the door, taking a moment to think of where she had heard that voice before. The memories pounded in her head. She got up and walked over to the door before opening it. Her white hair was quite a mess, her blue eyes with red flecs kind of drooping, probably because of the alcohol, and her typically paler than a ghost complexion had some color to it and that was most definately from the drinking.

"... I must be hallucinating," She muttered then smiled at him.

"... oh well, it's a pretty nice one this time, not one about you being eaten by a cazadore... fuckers didn't know how to leave you alone," She said, stumbling through words before she made her way to the couch and flopped onto it. It was though, a lot nicer looking than he had left it. The place had been dusted from top to bottom, there was a snow globe collection standing on the shelf above his fire place and to top that off there was a seemingly bear rug across the floor to his suite, his bedroom door was closed but a beautiful scent was coming from behind those doors.

"... so... join me on the couch and keep me company before you fade away."

She'd been drinking. Obviously. He couldn't smell it in the air, but he could hear it in her voice. She'd been at his vodka...and, looking as stressed and worn out as she did, he wasn't about to ask her about it. His eyes took in every little detail of the room - little things she'd added, moved, and taken away to create something that was actually pretty nice. Nicer than a lot of the places Benny had stayed since he'd been away. But the real jewel in the crown was her. Andoria. What a sight she was, sprawled out on the couch! He'd done a lot of drinking, himself, but could never drink enough to forget how beautiful she was.  
Swallowing a lump that had somehow formed in his throat, Benny moved to sit beside her.

She smiled brightly at him before moving her legs onto his lap. She blinked. Typically with her hallucinations when she did something to interact with them they disappeared, this one didn't. She stared at him for a moment before sitting up and poking at his face. Again, she was expecting it to disappear but it didn't. He was here? Was he really here? All of her hallucinations about him didn't want to even think about shooting her in that head so many nights ago. Now was time to test the waters.

"... Tell me something Ben-man, When you shot me that night... what did you feel? I wanna know..." She said, a serious look on her face, though her eyes had that of a child, sadness in those eyes, also yearning.

He endured her proddings and pokings with a twinge of amusement...and guilt. He supposed she hadn't expected him to come back. Hell, he wasn't even sure what he was doing here. She spoke again, and her voice, her question, startled him out of his reverie.

"I..." he began shakily, then stopped then inhaled deeply.  
She sighed, yawning a little bit. "... I need to know if you're real... my hallucinations, they, they don't even talk about it, they don't even want to think about it, they shush me..." She muttered.

Hallucinations? Likely alcohol-induced and it didn't look like she'd been sleeping much. Benny wondered why she hadn't brushed him aside the way she'd brushed the dust out of his suite...but he could indulge his self-loathing later. She'd asked him a question.

"I was...afraid," he confessed.


End file.
